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Product Safety Conference – Follow Up

gazza — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Product Safety Conference – Follow Up

gazza Thu, 23/01/2014

Senior electrical industry figures are due to meet to discuss key issues arising from the Electrical Safety Council's (ESC) Product Safety Conference that was held in May 2013.
Round Table Follow Up

A round table follow-up to the Electrical Safety Council’s (ESC) highly successful Product Safety Conference will take place on 5th March in Church House, Westminster. The ESC is hoping to raise the profile of product recalls and traceability. Millions of people every year are risking fire and electrical injury whilst unknowingly using recalled products.
Finding a solution to the low numbers of people registering electrical purchases
It has been identified that customers are reluctant to register electrical products following their purchase fearing their details will be added to marketing databases. The ESC wants to see a central data system where details of all electrical products are added making it far easier to identify which electrical products are on recall.

The event will bring together senior industry figures to progress the key issues emerging from the conference, which took place last May.
“Our Product Safety Conference was very well-received and gained significant coverage in both trade and consumer media”, explains Martyn Allen, Head of the ESC’s Technical Unit. “The conference attracted delegates throughout the supply chain as it took a holistic, 360 degree approach to product safety”.

Martyn adds “However, the primary focus - for both the conference and the forthcoming round-table – is recalls and traceability. In recent years, high profile product recalls have seriously impacted on both corporate reputations and consumer safety. Currently, product recall campaigns are just 10-20% effective – leaving millions of people at risk from fire or electrocution.”
ESC Campaigning for a centralised database
In addition to calling for greater clarity in the regulations governing recalls, the ESC has also been campaigning for a new, centralised, product registration system.

Since the conference, the ESC has been liaising with industry, UK and EU government, as well as various NGOs and trade bodies, to establish a database where consumers could register their purchase - ensuring products can be easily traced and recalls targeted more effectively.

“Our research has shown that people would be more likely to register products with an independent body, such as the ESC, as they would be assured their details would be used only to recall products,” adds Martyn.

“At the moment, only 5-10% of consumers complete registration cards for new items because they fear their information will be used for marketing purposes. But to create a centralised database we need industry backing and this is bound to be an important part of the round table discussion.”

Further details on this event will be posted on the ESC website at www.esc.org.uk.

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Top Business Mistakes Highlighted by Survey

gazza — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Top Business Mistakes Highlighted by Survey

gazza Mon, 29/04/2013

Do you think you're a savvy business owner? A recent survey carried out by Volkswagen Caddy highlights the main mistakes small business owners like electricians and plumbers have made and then later regretted.
Business mistakes are not heard about very often, after all no ones wants to be reminded how easy it can be to make mistakes so therefore we only hear about the bigger success stories. It is little wonder then that many also try to follow the 'spotlight' and end up disappointed. Running a business is by no means a simple task.
Of course, the key lesson to learn from making a mistake is how to avoid making the same mistake twice. The list features many commonly made business mistakes, many which could be easily repeated by other unsuspecting business owners.
My Local Electrician is pleased to publish the findings of this report which was recently carried out by interviewing 1,000 small and medium sized business owners to produce a report entitled 'However Big Your Ambition'
Coming in at number 1 of the 15 biggest business mistakes is Hiring Someone Who Wasn't Right For the job. One of the most important assets a business has are its staff and investing in the right staff for your business will pay dividends in the longer term. A motivated and happy workforce is easily detected by customers and this quickly builds a perception of company image and reputation.
It seems we are a nation of business owners who allow our hearts to rule our heads this is according to 35% of survey respondents. This highlights the need to run a business in a business like manner. Top mistakes made in this category include hiring a friend to work, offering too much discount on products and services and not taking advantage of an opportunity.
In light of the survey results, business owners are being urged to think higher quality rather than lower price when it comes to making the deal in order to obtain better paid work and are being discouraged to avoid short term fixes on businesses and instead consider long term business investment.
The However Big your Ambition Report conjures up images of steadfast businesspeople who are full of encouragement to other business owners however this is quite far from the truth in reality. The survey results described business owners as 'Ambitious Risk Takers' which sounds quite encouraging, however the report also says that 72% of business owners feel less optimistic about the outlook for 2013 than they did about 2012 with 93% of respondents not expecting to achieve their annual financial targets with just 19% saying that their business is busy.
The top 15 business mistakes are:
1.   Hiring someone who wasn’t right for the job
2.   Making a pricing error
3.   Not taking advantage of an opportunity
4.   Giving too much discount on something
5.   Taking a friend on to work for you
6.   Taking a relative on to work for you
7.   Firing someone
8.   Trusting someone/a business partner that didn’t work out
9.   Investing in equipment which didn’t work
10. Ignoring good advice
11. Allowing a junior more responsibility than they could handle
12. Acting on bad advice
13. Declining a pay rise which meant a good member of staff left
14. Giving someone a pay rise and regretting it
15. Investing in another business which didn’t work
You can read the official press release for Volkswagen here: http://www.newspress.co.uk/public/ViewPressRelease.aspx?pr=42792&pr_ref=...

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New Design and Technology Curriculum Outdated

gazza — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

New Design and Technology Curriculum Outdated

gazza Fri, 19/04/2013

Design and Technology? Remember it? The vast majority of us have fond memories of constructing wooden cars and making them move, of producing graphical '3D' drawings and trying out the levers of a drilling machine. Fun times for many and quite possibly, Design Technology lead to an interest in pursuing a career in the construction industry for many people.
However, the end of such fun could well be on the horizon if proposed changes to the National Curriculum in England for Design and Technology go ahead.
Many skills previously taught that were designed to equip pupils with skills essential to becoming a future engineer or technician look set to disappear off the curriculum – innovation, design, creativity and building are set to be replaced with the far more generic 'practical and life skills' taking the meaning of 'design and technology' with it.
There have been concerns raised within the electrical industry that the draft Design and Technology curriculum does not represent the working life of industry today, meaning pupils will not experience what it is like working in demanding and challenging environments.
The curriculum is doing little to address the technical skills shortage the UK is currently experiencing and is only going to make the problem worse as students leave school ill-equipped for further study and eventually into the workplace.
Without the expert input that is much needed to improve the Design and Technology curriculum, the manufacturing industries are going to undoubtedly struggle within the next few years and it is contributing nothing towards resolving a serious growing problem.

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Electricians Bear the Costs of Faulty Products and Materials

gazza — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Electricians Bear the Costs of Faulty Products and Materials

gazza Fri, 08/03/2013

Despite guarantees made on materials, electricians are finding themselves out of pocket should they have to replace faulty products.
Anxious to ensure good customer relations and reputation, electricians are finding they may only be breaking even or worse still making a loss if they have to return to the job through no fault of their own in order to replace a faulty fitting.
One electrician reports on the costs involved in replacing a £150 floodlight that had failed. “I went to install four LED 50wt floods at 14mtrs, three worked and the fourth failed after only a day. The fitting cost around £150 but to go back (to the job) it cost over £400 for the cherry picker, around £600 for 2 men (to the business) and also travel”. He feels this is far from an isolated incident.
Electricians feel the suppliers should contribute to the business costs of replacing defective items rather than simply offer a replacement.
In response to the electricians comment, Steven from Kellwood LED that supply all types of LED lighting recommends ensuring the quality of the light fitting to begin with. “You have to look closely at products and check that the actual chip is made in Japan and not China. All fittings we supply have parts from Japan and are assembled in China” Steven also installs his products and claims he's never had a faulty product yet. “Unfortunately we only guarantee a replacement part. That is the guarantee we receive from manufacturers”
Of course it is no-ones fault that these products are faulty as these things do happen, perhaps manufacturers or suppliers should be addressing this.

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Engineering Scholarships Available from Autumn 2013

gazza — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Engineering Scholarships Available from Autumn 2013

gazza Thu, 07/02/2013

Addressing the current skills and workforce shortages in Engineering and Technology, and addressing the need to recruit the right candidates into the industry, students who achieve 3 Grade 'A's at A level and start an IET Accredited Engineering or Technology degree this Autumn will receive a scholarship of £1000 annually for up to 4 years.

The scholarship, known as the Diamond Scholarships Initiative has been launched by the IET in the hope that it will attract bright young talent to the Engineering and Technology Industry. Unfortunately Engineering and Technology has not been a popular choice with graduates in recent years and has carried an image of poor career progression and poor pay with little challenge.

In fact the opposite is the case. Engineering and Technology is thriving in the UK and is one of very few sectors who can say they cannot find the right people to join the engineering workforce. With an ageing workforce, there are significant concerns for the future of the UK Engineering industry as there is very little young talent joining the industry.

Furthermore, starting salaries for graduate engineers are among the top graduate salaries, however this has done little to help the growing skills gap. The IET is aiming to close the skills shortage gap with the introduction of the Diamond Scholarships Initiative.

Prof Andy Hopper, IET President, said: “Engineering and technology are thriving in the UK but there is a very real problem with skills shortages to fill the jobs available. The IET wants to encourage young people to study engineering and technology and go on to pursue careers in these sectors.
“Job prospects in these sectors continue to look strong, with companies continually seeking talented graduate engineers and scientists, as well as technicians and apprentices.”

Students can now apply for the scholarships by visiting www.theiet.org/diamond.

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What Can Happen When A Cable Overheats

gazza — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

What Can Happen When A Cable Overheats

gazza Fri, 01/02/2013

A house fire in a loft in Colchester this last week has again sparked a warning about the dangers of electrical fires in the home.

Luckily the occupants of the house were safely outside when the fire crews arrived, but the fire itself could have been easily prevented.

The fire was caused by an electrical cable that overheated and set fire to books and clothing that were being stored in the loft. Fire services in the UK were called out to an electrical fire every other day in 2012 and many of these cases were simple problems that could be easily rectified by the householders.
So how can you ensure your home is electrically safe?

There are things you can do to minimise the possibility of an electrical house fire. In particular, check old and worn flexes and ensure that appliances are clean, well cared for and in good working order. If in doubt about any appliance it is best not to use it. Appliance misuse is the main cause of electrical fires and the number of these cases has been rising since 2009.

The Electrical Safety Council (ESC) has published some useful tips and guidelines on how to make your home electrically safer by highlighting many of the 'blunder' UK households are making that can be easily rectified but can cause devastating damage if a fire breaks out.

The top blunders highlighted by the ESC include

Using the microwave as an additional surface and blocking air vents

Leaving the tumble dryer running unattended or overnight

Blocking air vents by failing to clean behind the fridge/freezer

Overloading electrical adapters

Leaving electrical appliances on while unattended only to be alerted by a burning smell

Despite these alarming statistics, there are ways which you can help yourself and many of them require no money, just a little time.
So what can you do to help yourself?

Carry out a visual check of your electrics – the ESC have got a great Smart phone App that you can use to check your home. Down load it here http://www.esc.org.uk/public/safety-in-the-home/home-safety-app/

Does your home have RCD protection? This life saving device is fitted to most modern consumer units. Even without an RCD, consider using RCD plugs on appliances such as kettles.

Keep combustible materials (such as clothes) away from sources of heat and ensure that the area of electrical intake (normally found in upstairs cupboards is clear.

If you've not had a home Electrical Safety Inspection carried out within the last 10 years and you own your home, it will be worth having an electrician to come and carry one out on your property. It will be your peace of mind that your home is electrically safe and checks have been made to ensure there is no cable deterioration

By checking basic electrical safety features in your home, you will be avoiding scenarios such as the house fire we have mentioned in this article.

Source: http://www.esc.org.uk/public/safety-in-the-home/

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Get a Cool Discount on BPEC Training with Vent-Axia

gazza — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Get a Cool Discount on BPEC Training with Vent-Axia

gazza Wed, 19/12/2012

To meet the requirements in the Domestic Ventilation Compliance Guide 2010, ventilation systems should be installed by a BPEC approved contractor.

Where better to undertake your BPEC training than with Vent-Axia, the leaders of low-carbon technology? Vent-Axia is delighted to offer an amazing 'once only' price as a Christmas present for anyone who needs to undertake the BPEC course.

The two-day BPEC Domestic Ventilation System 2010 course covers installation, inspection, testing, commissioning and provision of information for Fixed Domestic Systems for both new and existing residential buildings.

The great news is the course is being offered for a cool £125 each instead of the normal £395. Installers can choose a course from a selection of 2013 training dates listed on the Vent-Axia website but to take up this special offer the course needs to be booked by 31 January 2013. Course places will be offered on a first come, first served basis.

The course fee includes the two training days with lunch included, your own copy of the training manual and certification upon successful completion of the course.

The Vent-Axia BPEC Training course takes place at the BPEC accredited training facility in Crawley.

The course consists of one day theory with candidates working through the training manual which is sent out beforehand to enable background reading to take place.

The second day is mainly practical with candidates learning how to install, inspect and test domestic ventilation systems in a safe and neat way. Candidates also have the opportunity to commission a Mechanical Ventilation with Heat and Recovery (MVHR) system which is an integral part of SAP calculations. In addition, candidates will need to sit and pass a multiple choice open book assessment.

Following successful completion of the BPEC course, a candidate will become a qualified installer of ventilation systems and receive a certificate which lasts for a duration of 5 years.

To be eligible to undertake the course all candidates need to hold or be studying towards an NVQ/SVQ Level 3 qualification or have significant experience in plumbing, electrical, heating or ventilation.

To take advantage of this strictly limited opportunity please quote BPEC course discount number 139806.

To book your course swiftly, follow the link for fast booking and registration http://www.vent-axia.com/range/bpec-training.html

Do hurry though; this exciting opportunity won’t be around very long!

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The Winners of the 2012 Online Electrician of the Year Awards

gazza — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Winners of the 2012 Online Electrician of the Year Awards

gazza Wed, 12/12/2012

My Local Electrician would like to congratulate the winners of the online electrician of the year awards after a nail biting few weeks of waiting for intrepid electricians.

This year saw record entries all of which showed a high standard as well as a growing awareness of the importance of on line marketing and promotion of electrical safety and services.

This years online electrician of the year awards was kindly sponsored by Megger and Vent-Axia. Both companies are well known industry experts, who between them manufacture some of the most industry respected equipment widely used and trusted by electricians.

The media partner was the EEIBA who actively promoted the online electrician of the year awards 2012 and for this we thank them kindly for their on going efforts to support the competition.

The team at My Local Electrician was given the task of scaling down the entries to a shortlist of just 10. The shortlist was then sent to our sponsors Megger and Vent-Axia for their opinion of who should be the prize winners of the 2012 On Line Electrician of the Year Awards.

The result for the Gold Prize was synonymous with both sponsors agreeing on the winner. The winner of the Gold Prize was James Dewane of Kent Electrics Ltd. James runs a small electrical contracting company based in Kent. James wins a state of the art Megger MFT 1730 – the complete on site test and certification kit. This is what Megger had to say: “I see Kent Electrics details appear on a few social sites and he seems to have worked hard on growing his social media site’s”

The Silver Prize was more difficult with sponsors debating who should take this place. It was a closely fought match with the Silver Prize winner eventually being selected as Darren Crannis of Crannis Technology Services Ltd. Darren designs, plans and delivers electrical and technical projects in Swindon. Darren wins an award winning fan of his choice from Vent-Axia either a Lo-Carbon Tempra, their Silent Fan or their Tempra fan.

The Bronze Prize was awarded to Ronnie Grant of RB Grant Electrical Contractors. A long established family run business of professional domestic, commercial and industrial electricians located in Fife, Scotland. Ronnie wins 3 large magnamole kits, an innovative tool designed to take the guesswork out of cable threading. Megger added: “This company is very active on the social sites and the website is clear, good plug-ins for social sites. This company also supports electrical apprentices.”

All winners will also receive a special winners logo which can be used on all their publicity material with the compliments of My Local Electrician and get a mention and link to their website on the My Local Electrician magazine and Official Electrician awards website.

My Local Electrician would like to thank all sponsors for their generous support of the On Line Electrician Awards 2012 and extend a huge thank you to all electricians who entered the Awards this year.

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Are you Entitled to a tax Refund?

gazza — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Are you Entitled to a tax Refund?

gazza Thu, 06/12/2012

There is an estimated £180 million in unclaimed tax refunds.

If you are the holder of an ECS card and work for a firm, you might not realise that you can claim tax relief from using your own vehicle to get to temporary work sites. If you use public transport you may still be able to claim.

What is an ECS card?

This is a card used throughout the electrical industry whereby your competence is proven through the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme. The card enables the holder to be able to gain work legally on sites.

Whether you are self employed or work for the electrical contracting sector, it makes sense to be a card holder as this proves your level of competence, qualifications and health and safety awareness.

From a trainee to a professional, whichever role you perform in the electrical contracting sector you will require an ECS card as it is now becoming increasingly difficult to find work on a site without one.

To find out if you are entitled to a tax refund, consult your local tax specialist or accountant.

Electrician Nick Hooper has recently received £1632.29 as a tax refund and was delighted to discover he was entitled to this money after contacting a tax refund specialist.

You can read more about this story here

The process to make a tax relief claim is simple and straightforward and you could get your money within just a few weeks.

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Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Use a Professional Electrician

gazza — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Use a Professional Electrician

gazza Mon, 03/12/2012

Electricians have heard it all before – when chasing up quotations, it is very common to hear that that someone else is going to do it cheaper or they're going to do the job themselves to save money. But how can you convince your customer to spend their hard earned cash with you – the Part P registered electrician who can certify their work, guarantee it and carry out the job in accordance to all rules and regulations and safety standards.

This is just the problem, as a home owner do you understand why they should be a Part P registered electrician?

My Local Electrician has come with the Top 10 tips which clearly explain why you should use a Part P registered professional electrician.

Safety Issues – Electricity does kill and thousands are injured every week in the UK through electrical related accidents. The majority of these cases are people who are trying to fix a problem with their home electrics without having the basic essential knowledge required. Even if the problem seems to be repaired, it will not be tested to ensure its safety leaving the householder and the family at risk from fire and potential injury.

Long Term Safety concerns – Damage caused by DIY electrical work costs far more in remedial repairs than it would have cost an electrician to put right in the first place. Incorrect electrical work can cause cables to overheat and melt if they're the incorrect size, breakers to burn causing fire if incorrectly fitted. Often the householder is unaware until a fire breaks out.

Doing the job right first time – A professional electrician will get the job done for you far quicker with the peace of mind it has been done safely, tested and certified. It is the most cost effective way than to use someone who claims to know about electrics, produces unsafe work leaving you to find a professional electrician to rectify the work.

Qualifications – There are several routes a qualified electrician can take to become qualified. Any professional electrician will be more than happy to show you their qualifications. Making a point of having an industry recognised qualification goes a long way. The point we're making here is that there are lots of options available to become a qualified electrician there is no reason why someone who is unqualified should be working on home electrics. Being qualified means you understand the rules and regulations needed to install home electrics in some ones home.

Experience - Which ever route an electrician takes to become qualified, they will have carried out practical work which helps them gain the much needed experience to be able to carry out electrical work in your home.

Troubleshooting – if you don't know what the problem is with your home electrics, it is far better to consult a qualified electrician. Fault finding is a complex area of electrical work, and it can cause more harm than good looking for a problem if you don't know what you are doing. Its also very time consuming – it does make far more sense to consult a professional electrician to find an electrical fault in terms of both time and money

Money saving - If your customer has appliances which keep blowing fuses or their lights trip out, rather than ignore the problem and simply replacing fuses or re-setting the trip, they should be using the services of an electrician. Ignoring a potential problem can make it worse and more costly in the longer term.

Registered - Always ensure your electrician is registered with an organisation such as the NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA. This means that the electrical works carried out will be certified which is an essential requirement should you wish to sell your home. It also means the electrician is independently assessed to ensure their electrical work is of the required standard.

Guaranteed work – If your electrician is registered, it also means they can guarantee the work they undertake in your home. An unregistered electrician would not offer any guarantee with their work.

Lastly, if you’re not happy with the work the electrician has carried out in your home, you have access to an independent complaints procedure. Of course, this is only offered if your electrician is registered. It is all offered as part of the service you pay for.

It should now be clear why a professional electrician is always the best option when considering any electrical work in your home. A professional electrician is not just interested in your money, they also care about you and your families well being.

Stay safe and don't be tempted by the services of someone who is only interested in your money.

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